


The Adventure of the Mailman

by Esoop



Series: Sideline [3]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Finally came up with a use for the crystals from the crystal caverns, Mailbug has his work cut out, This isnt even canon to my non-canon series for my main non-canon fiction, but i love it still
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:00:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29834313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esoop/pseuds/Esoop
Summary: Retired after the shutdown of the stagways and the quarantine of the city, A mailbug is reactivated to deliver a set of vital messages. With the fate of the kingdom counting on him, can he deliver them before the closing light overwhelms him?I've always wondered what the events lead up to the dreamers signing away their lives for the king, in this fic I'll try and tell the stories of those effected by this greatest of sacrifices.
Series: Sideline [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2085237





	The Adventure of the Mailman

He sighed and tossed another handful of the purple powder into the stove. It shimmered brilliantly in the heat of the burning chamber, a glimpse of the enthralling light of those far away caverns glowed through out the tennet for but a moment, before the popping started and the powder caught alight. It blazed a dull green against the pale blue of the light coming through the window, it was a long burning flame but not a particularly hot one. He didn't mind too much, it was better then the ambient cold of the city. He settled back onto his sofa and drew his pipe from the side-table, and barely got a chance to light it before there came a knock at the door.

"Damn it all" he mumbled, setting down the pipe and rising from the chair. The guard had grown more and more drowsy these days, and there had been a spring of break ins on his street from the infected as well as the desperate. He creeped along the stone floor, attentively shrouding the plat plat of his footsteps as he headed for the kitchen. A butcher's knife wouldn't make much more then a scratch on his fellow's carapace, but he was sure the heavy meat mallet could make quick work of whatever was on the other side of his door.

Bang Bang went the door

He waited by the side of the door and near the window, ready to swing regardless of where they came in from. This time the knocks came in rhythm.

Dun dun dun dun dun… dun dun

He considered this for a second, it appeared they weren't intent on coming through any time soon, so he shouted out the challenge, "What do you want?"

A high monotone voice came from the other side of the door, "Sir, you've been reactivated, I have your next packages"

What on earth? The Imperial Express hadn't been active for months, ever since the stag tunnel system had begun to fall apart as the great beasts had fallen to madness. He had been given his severance by the king's proxy themselves in a small chamber within the palace, along with his final package, a number of silk sheets stained with quarantine orders which he was to hang through his segment of the city.

"Go away, I'm done risking my ass to get love letters to the surface, find someone else"

A hint of hoarseness crept into their voice, "The others are lost or working on other vital projects." 

"I don't care, conscript someone if you have too."

The presence on the other side of the door was quiet for a time, with his ear against the door he only heard the sound of the eternal rain.

After a short while he turned away from the door, shaking his head. Had the mail master gone their own version of mad? What possible reason would the service be re-activated with a sum-total of one employee after all this time of the plague only growing worse? For that matter why in the kings true name would you reactivate a mail system when all of your mailmen are locked inside a city? No, this monotone messenger could return to the stations with their parcels, he was content to stay in this room till the stores ran dry.

Just as he was about to return to his chair, the voice returned, louder this time, "The Gracious Lady herself has commissioned this message, and would seek its timely arrival."

Shit.

Shit.

He raced back to the door, stumbling and nearly tripping on an old carpet on the way. He opened the door a crack and demanded, "What did you just say?"

The figure standing outside his door was around his same height, and was wearing a heavy raincoat. But his perfect posture and a glimpse of the pale fabric obscured below the coat gave away the bug's regal origin. This was a court bug, one of those who attended the king's courts far below the city.

The hooded bug spoke quietly now, its voice raspy when it wasn't raising it, "The Gracious Lady seeks the delivery of three messages to key figures throughout Hallownest, and has entrusted them to the Reformed Imperial Express for prompt delivery." Looking closer, the court bug had three scrolls cases on its hip.

He was at a loss, a stammered, "Why?" was all he could muster.

That certainly seemed to throw the pale masked bug for a loop. It stared at him a moment, then looked around in what seemed to be an attempt to sneakily make sure no one was nearby, but which rather obviously showed off the pale metal and fabrics of the court bug. It leaned in and stage whispered, "She seeks to court the assistances of three great figures, beyond that I do not know."

He was still in shock, the Gracious Lady was an elusive figure, never seen and rarely heard from, known only by the flora she spread throughout the wilds of the kingdom. Why would she seek the appearance of any mortal bug? Had something gone wrong, right, neither? He couldn't turn the order down, but... "P-Pardon me, but I'll need a moment to think..."

The court bug shook its head, "I can't stay long, take these and do what you must, your escort will be mustering by the watcher's spire." The court bug forced the scroll cases into his hands and hurried away down the road, the Plat Plat Plat of his steps in the puddles fading off into the eternal night of the cavern.

With a thud the door swung closed, leaving him stunned in his house, the three scrolls cradled in his crossed arms.

Oh, he had forgotten the meat mallet, still in one hand. He walked slowly back to the kitchen, and set the hammer back in a cabinet, also dropping the set of scrolls on the countertop.

"To the diligent watcher" Read one,  
"To her bright illuminance" Read the second,  
Oh no, he paused as he read the address of the final scroll, "To the beast"

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so happy I finally got to use "what in the name of (insert fanfic relevant god)"


End file.
